​It's Halloween and you know what that means? Handing out candy to trick r treaters, dressing up as your favorite mythical creature, fictional character, etc. But for us cinephiles, Halloween is a time where we like to celebrate the horror film genre. Horror films have been around since the inception of cinema and Halloween is the perfect time of year to worship their craft. From early on films like "The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari" to some later masterpieces such as "The Exorcist," and lately with some modern masterpieces like "The Babadook," horror films seem to be a unified favorite among cinephiles. Yet for some reason, they are rarely awarded, especially within The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scientists. The Academy seems to be awarding fewer horror films as time goes on. Horror films are of the same caliber as the films awarded at the Oscars each year if not better. In 2017 we have seen some brilliant horror pieces with "It Comes at Night," "Get Out," "It," "Mother!," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" and much more. So join us as we reflect on some horror films that have been recognized by The Academy and some horror films released this year that we hope will receive some recognition.

The race is officially off with the Gotham Awards Nominations being announced and we finally heard some word on "Phantom Thread" with the first trailer being dropped. We might or might not have heard some word on "The Post" but I am refusing to believe the negative rumors until something more concrete presents itself. So on this spooky Halloween day, take a look at where the race stands for me as October comes to a close.

​The Best Actress category has begun to take shape more clearly than the other three acting races this year. Four of the five spots for Best Actress appears to be filled, or at least the following four actresses seem to have marked their territory and have a good position in the race politically. By which I mean, these actresses either have a spirited campaign narrative, or they’re headlining star a film that is going to be a big player with the Academy and contend for Best Picture, or have critical support and industry respect that is too big to ignore.

Normally, I would not feel confident this early in the game to mark the so many potential nominees safe, and after Amy Adams’ snub last year for “Arrival,” we can assume no one is safe even if they campaign the right way, star in a popular Best Picture nominee, and gather every single necessary precursor. However, these top four have defendable cases for being nominated at this point in time.​

In “The Square," director Ruben Östlund continues the exploration of the fragility of masculinity he began in “Force Majeure;” both films deal with “fight or flight,” and how an otherwise unremarkable event can send a man into a spiral of self-doubt and destruction. In “Force Majeure,” an avalanche creates the biggest crisis in a married couple’s life, and while the extraordinary event in “The Square” is less shocking, its ripples change the lives of countless people. Christian (Claes Bang) is a successful museum curator who is keen on recovering the mobile phone someone stole from him, when he tries to cast too wide a net, he ends up catching unexpected fish who will change the course of his life. Told in the darkest of comedic tones, the film should serve as a reminder of how our actions affect even those we don’t know.

The film’s concept of creating a new social contract feels more than appropriate given the divisive times we’re living in. As usual Östlund’s direction is confident enough that the film feels unmistakably his, and yet the scope of its message is told with poetic subtlety. After winning the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the film went on to several other festivals including NYFF, it was also selected as Sweden’s official submission into the Foreign Language Film Oscar race. We spoke to Östlund about what it’s like to make art today, why it’s a fascinating time to be a man, and his infamous Oscar nominations video.

For Episode 62, myself,Michael Schwartz and Will Mavity welcome Deann Chiazzese to the Next Best Picture Podcast as an official member as we all discuss the current state of the Oscar race, how the horror genre has fared with the Academy over the years (In honor of Halloween), the trailer for Paul Thomas Anderson's new film "Phantom Thread" starring Daniel Day-Lewis and more!

"Blade Runner 2049" remains one of the most impressive technical achievements in 2017. Will Mavity recently had the opportunity to talk to the Set Decorator for the film, Alessandra Querzola. In the interview he asks her about working with director Denis Villeneuve, Cinematographer Roger Deakins, her inspiration from the first film, her work on "Skyfall" and more!

​As October ends, the big players in the Best Picture race are beginning to take form. Disappointments and underwhelming movies are being weeded out after debuting in theatrical or festival release, and the stronger, more Academy-friendly films are beginning to align as the group likely to headline this year’s award season. That group includes “The Shape Of Water,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “Dunkirk,” “Darkest Hour,” and “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Steven Spielberg’s “The Post,” which has been unseen by any critical audience, will likely join that core group of five after it’s released. Barring any unforeseen twist of nature, one of these six films will probably be voted the Academy Award-winning film for Best Picture of the year. Though “Lady Bird,” “Mudbound,” "I, Tonya," “Get Out,” “Battle Of The Sexes,” “Blade Runner 2049,” “The Big Sick,” “The Florida Project,” and “Wonder Woman” stand a shot (Some of them, a long shot) at filling out the Best Picture nominee slots 7-10, none of these films encapsulate what the Academy is probably looking for or has gravitated toward in recent years.

There is no simple answer (nor should there be), but the movie industry and its fans are dealing with a central question: How do we move forward after Harvey Weinstein? Not “how do we get over this bad headline and get back to our escapist art?” But, after everything we know (And are continuing to learn), how do we come to terms with this man’s actions and how do we stop it from happening again? The remaining PR team over at The Weinstein Company (Still waiting on that name change) are taking some action to separate their films from the man, and I have some thoughts on how Hollywood’s biggest night ought to deal with this.

From year to year, the amount of competitive performances in the Best Actor and Best Actress races vary, as well as the quality of the performances competing. In some years, the strength of a category can be undeniable and thereby overshadow the gender equivalent acting category. ​

​We're right in the heart of Oscar season. Plenty of incredible films have premiered at festivals around the country, and we've got more to come. There's no shortage of magnificent, Oscar-worthy performances from this year. Still, there are some other performances from earlier in 2017 to keep in mind that will sadly either go unnoticed or be looked over for more recent film performances. We are hoping that these names will still make a play in the coming season.

​The first trailer (finally) has landed online for Paul Thomas Anderson's anticipated new film "Phantom Thread" starring three time Academy Award winner Daniel Day-Lewis in what is said to be his final performance.

​The New York Film Festival has concluded. The Gotham Independent Film nominations have been announced. It’s undeniably Oscar season. Since our last check-in, “I, Tonya” released its first trailer (Kind of). Woody Allen’s “Wonder Wheel” premiered to mixed reactions, albeit raves for Vittorio Storaro’s cinematography. “Only The Brave” premiered to better than expected reviews. “The Snowman” turned out to be really, really, really bad. “Thor: Ragnarok” opened to better than expected reviews. “Battle Of The Sexes” and “Blade Runner 2049” continued to disappoint financially. And so, the race continues to take shape.